Waltons-style living: The new breed of shared homes that will house multiple generations and boast two front-doors...

Large living spaces, multiple bathrooms and two separate front doors could be the future for new-build houses, according to a report by the National House Building Council.

The organisation believes a lack of large affordable family homes has already resulted in different generations of the same family deciding to 'co-home' - essentially pooling cash to buy a single property for them all to share.

The NHBC says there has been a rise in first-time buyers clubbing together with parents or grandparents, with one estate agent claiming half a million people have already adapted to this lifestyle.

Living together: Different generations are clubbing together to buy a home to share

A common feature of recent decades has been the rise of the teenager or granny annexe, where an extension is added onto a home in order to house grandparents who may need help in later life, or a place to house noisy children.

But specially built homes with two front doors could become more of a common feature, especially with a combination of rising house prices, care costs and people living longer, according to the NHBC, which sets standards and provides warranties for new build properties.

NHBC new home registrations in the UK were up 28 per cent in 2013 compared to the previous year.

Registrations so far in 2014 have shown sustained growth and consolidation as the recovery continues on from an extremely strong 2013.

Even so, many experts argue that more houses are needed to cope with the ever-expanding UK population.

Mike Quinton, chief executive of NHBC, said: ‘Despite recent growth in our new housing registration figures, all commentators agree that there remains a significant shortfall of new housing to meet the country’s needs.

‘Housing demand is outstripping supply, inevitably causing an upward pressure on house prices.

‘Despite the positive intervention of the Government's Help to Buy scheme, home ownership remains beyond the reach of many first time buyers and increasing numbers of young people are struggling to get on the housing ladder.

‘Intergenerational living is now commonplace for many families and, in some cases, parents are accommodating their elderly relatives as well as their children.’

The Waltons: The popular US 1960s TV show saw three generations living together

For some, clubbing together could be the only way to get a foot on the ladder with deposits rising and some hotspots seeing prices increase dramatically.

But although this means moving back in with the parents – and in some cases grandparents – there are many perks, not least the fact they can move into a far larger property than they could afford on their own, the NHBC says.

At the same time, household costs are shared and parents with young children have babysitters on tap.

The elderly, meanwhile, can continue to live independently, with the security of having relatives under the same roof if needed.

The financial benefits can be long term too. When grandparents sell their home and join forces with their children and grandchildren to buy a new property, some of its value may be exempt from inheritance tax, the NHBC says.

Julian Rich, regional director of Garrington Property Finders, says: ‘More and more people are asking me to find larger homes because three generations of their family have decided to live together, part of the trend that has driven some half a million households in the UK to adopt this lifestyle.

‘Grandparents, parents and children all living together may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the benefits my clients see are compelling and it’s no wonder this trend is increasing.

‘Grandparents often want to downsize while their children are looking to upsize (but can’t yet afford to) so three generational living solves this problem at one stroke.’

It comes as the average UK house added more than £18,000 in value in the last 12 months, according to the latest monthly index for Halifax.